Wooden shutters have many generic names from ‘Plantation Shutters’ to ‘American Shutters’ and ‘Colonial Shutters’ to ‘Interior Wood Shutters’. They were originally the barrier between the inside of a building to the outside elements. Nowadays this is where we commonly see a window.

Nobody is entirely clear of their origins but it is likely that shutters originated in colonial plantations, hence the generic term.  They allowed ventilation and light during the day (in place of glass) and security at night. A wooden shutter is a set of horizontal louvres within a frame, hung to a surround fitted to the internal face of a window. The shutter louvres can be tilted at different angles to vary light and privacy.